Hagler was my fave fighter ever. Simply a double hard mofo. Died way too soon…. Just watching that again, for the 100th time, Hearns landed some bombs in that first round. I wonder what he was thinking walking back to his corner? I’ve got a canvas print of this fight hung up. Greatest fight ever. I remember watching it with my dad and his mate. Mesmerising…
Fury appears to have knocked a fair amount of weight off, and he's started complimenting Usyk too. If he's the same fighter as in the 2nd Wilder fight, I reckon Usyk could be in trouble.
True. Depends which Fury turns up. If he’s deadly serious and focused, I think he’ll be getting his hand raised. Usyk always takes his A game. He doesn’t have off nights. Super interesting fight. Maybe Usyk will target Fury’s scar tissue. If he opens a cut who knows…
Evens says there won’t be any scar tissue because that cut was inflicted with a sterile scalpel wielded by his cut man. Source: intuition and my naturally suspicious nature (and remember, I did predict that the fight would be cancelled or postponed due to Fury picking up a convenient injury!)
That golden era of middleweights, Haglar, Hearns, Leonard & Duran where all superb boxers & tough tough men with each having a different style & therefore a favourite depending on preference. I like Hearns the best possibly for just aesthetic reasons. His tall but slender build allowed for whipping fast hands & his snappy dancing movements both combined for a great watch. Not for nothing was he initially called The Cobra. And didn't those bombs actually cut Haglar who had to go all out and finish the fight and I dunno why Hearns got involved in inside stuff that eventually did it for him.
Tbf, he was cut much worse in the Wallin fight but I don't recall them reopening in subsequent matches.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but I was thinking the Wallin cut was in the same place as the training camp cut and from a similar innocuous punch.
The Ref could play a big part, if he lets Fury lay on Usyk, I'm not sure he'll be strong enough to hold him off for the whole fight. Plus Usyk doesn't seem to cope well with body punches.
I listened to Hearns in an interview a few years after. He said absolutely all strategy was out the window and he was just trying to smack Hagler in any way he could.
I take it you’re referring to Dubois regarding the body shot? Fury doesn’t pack the same power. He’s a volume puncher with slip and move. A bigger version of Calzaghe. Kind of.
I don't think it's the first time Usyk has been put down by a body shot. He tends to come on stronger when his opponents flag in the later rounds. That's unlikely to happen with Fury, and I reckon a few punches around Usyks ears will slow him down a little.
Is Usyk as good at heavyweight as Evander Holyfield was, and could Fury have gone the distance with Lennox Lewis. I see some similarities in Usyk v Fury. Changing the subject slightly, I reckon Fury would knock Joshua out, something that Usyk didn't do.
Not sure Fury would knock Joshua out. Power punching isn’t his strong point. Definitely got the style to deal with Joshua though. LL was the real deal. He didn’t become undisputed by accident. Top, top champ.
There again Joshua isn't exactly known for be able to take a shot... but you are right in that Fury isn't known for his weight of punch. But as we've said a few times he's just a big mobile, awkward b'stard to face. And I'd agree with you re LL - once he realised what he could do and put it all together into a coherent style/strategy he became pretty much unbeatable. Always struck me as a top, top guy as well... and he loved his mum. https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2023/dec/01/violet-blake-lennox-lewiss-mother-tribute
You'd need to wait until Usyk has a similar number of bouts/rounds before answering that - but it might be a long wait cus Evander did 57/443 & Usyk has only done 21/177. And also Evander was a bulked up cruiser/light heavy by fair means or foul is up for debate. But what isn't up for debate is that he had real heart & determination.
